Chennai, Aug 2 (UNI) Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M.K.Stalin today announced that as per the present estimates the new greenfield airport to come up at Parandur will cost Rs 20,000 crore and it would be yet another milestone in the state’s target to achieve USD one trillion dollar economy. An official release here said the present airport at Meenambakkam and the new one at Parandur will function simultaneously. The new airport at Parandur can handle 10 crore passengers and will have two runways, terminal buildings, taxiways, an apron, cargo, and several other infrastructure facilities, Stalin said. Following this, the State government will approach the Centre for getting the ‘in-principle’ approval for this project. Since the existing airport can handle only 2.2 crore passengers a year and after the Phase II expansion work is completed, the airport’s passenger handling capacity will increase to 3.5 crores a year in the next seven years. Hence, the State government has chosen a site for building the new airport.
The final cost for the construction of the new airport at Parandur will be arrived at after preparing the detailed project report. Based on the Centre’s Guidelines for Green- field Airports, the site clearance will be submitted to the Union Ministry of Civil Aviation Committee for getting its approval. After getting the approval, the State government will take up works like land acquisition and preparation of a detailed project report. Following this, the State government will approach the Centre for getting the ‘in-principle’ approval for this project. Since the existing airport can handle only 2.2 crore passengers a year and after the Phase II expansion work is completed, the airport’s passenger handling capacity will in- crease to 3.5 crores a year in the next seven years. Hence, the State government has chosen a site for building the new airport.
